Bulgarian Wedding Traditions and Magic
by Dylynn
Summary: She's survived the wedding, and fully intent on enjoying being Mrs. Krum - but why is her wedding ring so shiny?


I do not own Harry Potter, all is owned by JK Rowling. I was simply attempting to get them to dance for my own amusement and I am not making any money from this. To keep with Viktor's accent, I'm only replacing W with V's – as he is marrying Hermione I would like to think that his English has improved – or if you rather Her Bulgarian is excellent. After all could expect nothing less for our favorite know it all?

Hermione enjoyed the feeling of silk sheets against her skin, as she stretched luxuriously in bed. Sunlight filled the room, welcoming what would be her first full day as a married woman. She looked over her shoulder to grin at her husband, who was sprawled across the expansive bed, sleeping with such a relaxed air that Hermione was loath to wake him. A pleasant ache between her thighs was testament to previous night of heated passion, and that the binding spells of their union had been deliciously set, cast, and then activated by their activities.

Looking at her ring, Hermione thought she could almost detect the spell with an enhanced glimmer that didn't entirely belong to her delicate gold band. The twisting vines of ivy along her ring made it very feminine and pleasing in her opinion but certainly not _this shiny_. Hermione smiled when she recalled that Mrs. Krum had been going on about strict Bulgarian customs that would be adhered to for any woman wishing to marry one of her sons – no matter how much she liked them. The binding spell was considered the most important of these traditions that needed to be conducted during the marriage ceremony. In England, this spell wasn't given power or form beyond the words expressed and shared between the bride and groom. In Bulgaria, the binding words were an actual spell assured that the couple was happy and committed to each other now _and_ had the constitution to maintain a healthy marriage. It wasn't so much as guarantee of the marriage lasting, but the confirmation that the couple had the proper intent for the marriage to be performed and the intention to keep their vows to each other. Hermione thought the custom, as it only confirmed intentions and didn't actually affect her or Viktor's free will, was fine and a nice tradition. If only the muggle world had such a safe guard perhaps marriage rates for the muggle population would match that of the Bulgarian Wizarding community.

Looking around the room, Hermione noticed a breakfast laid out on a table in the corner of Viktor's - no she corrected herself, - _"their" _suite with a possessive smile. The Krum estate offered huge suites for bedrooms, almost a complete apartment – aside from the lack of a kitchen. As a celebration of their marriage the house elves which belonged to Viktor and now Hermione were freed – but after dealing with three very distressed house elves, who beat themselves and flung themselves away from the offered clothing and plugged their ears when salary and days off were mentioned as compensation. Hermione realized she would be doing more harm than good to them, and assured them they could stay. The result of that interesting conversation lead to the now bountiful breakfast spread out corner table. Hermione slid from the bed to investigate further, when Viktor's mumbled, " Loff? You leave me in bed alone so soon? Is early must come back and keep me varm, is vife's duty – yes?." Hermione's eyes widened a bit in reaction, "Viktor! You're up! I just didn't want to wake you!" Hermione's turned to face her husband only to be pulled back to bed, with her affectionate husband nuzzling her neck. "You can vake me up anytime you like, loff". Grinning, Hermione wrapped her arms around Viktor's neck drew him into a lingering kiss, savoring the feel of his hands rubbing and warming her back and how his delicious mouth and tongue played against and with hers. Hermione pulled away slowly, allowing her hands to fall to Viktor's chest while she laid her head on his shoulder. Viktor sighed and tightened his hold on his bride, and then leaned away and took her left hand into his, looking at the ring. The _very_ shiny ring glimmered up at Viktor and he smiled and then kissed the wedding band. "Majka will be pleased, our rings glow - is sign of best happy marriage."

Hermione looked at Viktor's own wedding wide band, it was a deep gold and it shimmered as much as her own more delicate ring. Questioningly Hermione looked up and said, "Is that all the glow means? The bond is solid and complete?" Viktor grinned in acknowledgement, " It means a bit more – but ve did not want to scare you. Means a few more things for us, like vhen in danger ve vill both know if each other needs help. I am pleased, I vill know if my vife needs help, and have a direction to go instead of vorrying at home vaiting. Hermione flushed, feeling slightly guilty at that statement, Viktor had been in a rage after finding Bellatrix's handy work on her body. If the death eater hadn't' already been dead Viktor would have flown off to deliver a much harsher punishment than AKing or Crucio alone. It was fortunate that due to Viktor's dark magic training at Durmstrang he was able to erase the signs of those war wounds from her. She was immensely grateful to not carry the scars from that encounter, nor to see the flicker of temper in Viktor's eyes that those scars caused whenever he saw them. "I don't know vhat else will develop but over time but some couples are also able to use the rings as vays to talk to each other and or as port keys vhich directly link to each other. I hope you are not upset vith this?" Shaking her head, Hermione said, "No, it sounds convenient – I just hope only the married pair is able to do that, and someone else making off with my ring, couldn't use it to port key to you!" Viktor chuckled and said, "No, they can't. Magic bonding only recognize you and I and it not common. If ve could use the ring that vay, and I vould not be sharing that information. I don't vant fan girls to steal ring and not have a vay to find you. " Hermione laughed and said "Don't worry I"ll still beat the fan girls off with a bludger bat if I have to when I arrive to save you." Viktor grinned at that image and stood and held his hand out to lead Hermione out of the bed. Hermione grasped his hands and looked up at Viktor, " So, will your Mother inspect our rings when we see them next?" "Oft course! Majka told you that some traditions must be kept, bonding vas just the start of that tradition. She vill be looking at the rings and vill then offer her blessing to us after seeing glow. No glow, no blessing and you must vork on relationship to get glow or marriage not considered valid in Bulgaria. Hermione's eyebrow shot up, "Really? I didn't know it was that important! Your Mother told me that it was just a tradition, and I didn't need to worry about anything past the ceremony for the bonding." Vell I think she didn't want to add to pressure of the vedding. You were nervous enough vithout needing more pressure. As I said if ve did not have glow, ve would have worked it out until glow appeared. There was no other vay, our loff too strong not to have glow. Majka and I both knew this, so not vorried." Viktor shrugged as if were no big deal, but Hermione's mind was already racing forward considering what could have happened…and then came to an abrupt halt when Viktor's lips were on her neck working their way up to just under her ear, slowing kissing and nibbling – which was sending shivers down Hermione's spine. "Stop vorrying, Loff," he whispered against her skin as he wrapped her in his arms. "I loff your ever vorking mind - but right now you should just enjoy yourself, no vorrying. Ve should get up and have breakfast before ve have to finish the tradition of our bonding before my parents. Then we escape to our honeymoon and ve vill relax." Hermione nodded and then they both walked up to lovely table that held a rather sumptuous Bulgarian breakfast. Her eyes glinted with mischief as she pondered her husband's use of the work relaxation. Fruit with whipped cream on the table could come in very useful she decided. She intended to enjoy, some of it with the salt of her husband's enticing skin.

Notes:

Still working with the plot bunny on this one, lemon or to not lemon that is the question. I have more than another three pages for use a bit later and will get back to this as soon as I'm satisfied with how this is working out. Reviews are requested in order to continue.


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